On the 29th of last month, cheers erupted during the 3rd competitive PT at the BIE General Assembly
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Presidential Office on the 1st refuted opposition parties' claims that South Korea gave up hosting the 2030 Busan Expo in exchange for participating in the 'NEOM City' construction project, which was secured through the visit of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, calling it "treason and nonsense."
A Presidential Office official met with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day and said, "I heard that the opposition party is publicizing such (deal) claims, and my thoughts are complicated," adding, "In short, it is 'rumor' and 'illusion.'"
He continued, "It is 'fake news' without clear evidence," and raised his voice, saying, "I hope the politician who made such remarks provides the basis to the public and the media, explaining what information they had to make such statements."
The official also emphasized that hosting the Expo was President Yoon Suk-yeol's election pledge for the Busan region, adding, "We appealed to the people and gained their support, so giving this up would be a betrayal of the people's promise and trust, which can never happen."
Earlier, Jang Sung-min, Director of Future Strategy Planning at the Presidential Office, reported at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office that during the third competitive presentation (PT) at the World Expo Organization (BIE) General Assembly held in Paris, France, on the 29th of last month (local time), South Korea overwhelmed competing countries.
Director Jang said, "Currently, the Expo was left for a year gathering dust in a cabinet during the Moon Jae-in administration, but after President Yoon Suk-yeol took office, he shook off the dust and said we should carefully consider it for national interest and give it our all, starting from zero percent with the spirit of pioneering a wasteland."
Director Jang added, "At the very beginning, it was 34 to 1. Saudi Arabia had traveled through 34 countries over a year and was far ahead, while we were supported by only one country, standing on the cliff of time alone. Starting from there, we spent six months running around the world, searching for even remote huts in rural mountain valleys, visiting countries with populations of only 100,000, and after all that, we finally completed the third PT in Paris yesterday."
Director Jang self-praised, "To tell you the PT results first, South Korea was overwhelming in the third PT yesterday, receiving many evaluations from observers that we had prepared well and taken the initiative. When we presented, cheers of 'Bravo' even erupted from the audience, and we received much praise."
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